West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has reopened the debate over a winter break, insisting: "You wouldn't flog a racehorse like they flog our players."

With the nation in the grip of freezing conditions, some of this weekend's Premier League matches could fall victim to the weather.

The Irons squad enjoyed a short break in Dubai at the end of February last year, and on their return to action lost just one of the remaining games as they secured promotion through the Championship play-offs.

Allardyce (above) sees no reason why a few days of warm-weather rehabilitation could not be factored into what is now a draining campaign for all clubs.

"You do not need a long one, and at the end of the day you would not flog a racehorse like you would flog our players," said Allardyce, whose side host relegation battlers QPR tomorrow.

"There is a lot of research out there to suggest a winter break benefits football clubs in Europe from suffering less injuries.

"It shows it is of great benefit, but the fixture congestion with the Premier League and the other leagues find it very difficult to fit in.

"They would say 'What benefit would two weeks make?' Well a hell of a lot if you could leave your players doing nothing for a week in terms of rest and recuperation, physically and mentally.

"That would get them re-energised physically and mentally and ready to move forward again.

"After we went away to Dubai for four days last year, we only lost one game after that, went all the way through to the play-offs and won the last six games on the trot.

"The physical output of the players increased to what they were achieving before they went away.